Guest Gollywobbler Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Hi Drivers I am very concerned about a report I have received from one of our members. It seems that there currently is, or there has been sometime in 2007/8, a rumour going around about possible visas for truck drivers. The version which I have heard of the rumour has it that the Australian Government is supposedly backing a scheme which would supposedly enable DIAC to grant 457 visas to British HGV drivers provided that the driver holds an Australian HR licence before he applies for a visa. Please all note: This rumour is complete rubbish. There is not a grain of truth in it. Therefore please, please do NOT be tempted to spend your hard earned on rushing out to Oz to obtain an Aussie HR licence. The Aussie HR licence will NOT get you a visa. If you get a visa by using some other visa pathway, the licence might come in handy once you are living in Oz but it will do NOTHING towards getting you the visa in the first place. The truth of this matter is that following a high-level Government-led Inquiry in 2007 & 2008, the Minister altered the legislation concerning the 457 visa on 1st August 2008. The legislative instrument is here: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/sbs/occupations.pdf Page 14 is relevant. It states categorically that 457 visas for truckers will only be possible if the foreign driver & truck will be engaged in: mining operations in regional Australia; construction operations in regional Australia; transporting dangerous cargos such as hydrocarbons and chemicals. It is not necessary for the driver to have an Aussie HR licence prior to the grant of the visa. The rules for the visa say that it is sufficient if the driver obtains the necessary licence(s) within one month of his/her arrival in Oz, having travelled to Oz on his her 457 visa once that has been granted. The August 2008 legislation came about as a result of The Transport Industry Working Group's advice to the Minister, which was published on the DIAC website in July 2008. The link to the Report is here: DIAC Newsroom – Media_releases – Changes to 457 visa eligibility for truck drivers The Report itself is refusing to download. The DIAC website is telling me "Page Not Found" so something must be wrong with the IT arrangements in the new website. However the Report led to the legislative instrument described above. I read the report when it was first published, though. One of the key recommendations made by the Working Group is that if the Transport industry considers that migrant drivers are essential, the Industry ought to be prepared to enter into Labour Agreements with the Government. If any such Labour Agreements are ever negotiated (nobody knows whether they will be) then it would be possible for large, well-run employers to be able to sponsor other types of HR driver for 457 visas and for the drivers to do other types of driving besides the three mentioned above. However no such Labour Agreements exist at the moment. Unless and until they do, it is pointless to rely on nothing but an assumption or wish that it might happen. If anyone negotiates such a Labour Agreement successfully, one thing it definitely will not do is to give British drivers any sort of exclusivity or special priority over drivers from any other country. The Aussie Government's Immigration Policy is STRICTLY non-discriminatory. If the Transport Workers Union of Australia - which I understand is powerful - gets its own way, the Labour Agreements will never happen in any case. The Union's submission to the Working Group is here: http://www.twu.com.au/twu_457_submission.pdf So please do be careful about this and please do NOT spend any money on reliance on this rumour if you should hear it. One wonders whether the people selling the courses that lead to the tests and HR licences have a vested interest in promoting such a daft rumour, frankly! I have feelers out everywhere in an effort to help truckers. If any good news should happen, I will definitely hear about it quickly and as soon as I have any more definite information, I will put a thread or post about it on Poms In Oz. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongrel Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Hi Drivers I am very concerned about a report I have received from one of our members. It seems that there currently is, or there has been sometime in 2007/8, a rumour going around about possible visas for truck drivers. The version which I have heard of the rumour has it that the Australian Government is supposedly backing a scheme which would supposedly enable DIAC to grant 457 visas to British HGV drivers provided that the driver holds an Australian HR licence before he applies for a visa. Please all Note: This rumour is complete rubbish. There is not a grain of truth in it. Therefore please, please do NOT be tempted to spend your hard earned on rushing out to Oz to obtain an Aussie HR licence. The Aussie HR licence will NOT get you a visa. If you get a visa by using some other visa pathway, the licence might come in handy once you are living in Oz but it will do NOTHING towards getting you the visa in the first place. The truth of this matter is that following a high-level Government-led Inquiry in 2007 & 2008, the Minister altered the legislation concerning the 457 visa on 1st August 2008. The legislative instrument is here: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/sbs/occupations.pdf Page 14 is relevant. It states categorically that 457 visas for truckers will only be possible if the foreign driver & truck will be engaged in: mining operations in regional Australia; construction operations in regional Australia; transporting dangerous cargos such as hydrocarbons and chemicals. It is not necessary for the driver to have an Aussie HR licence prior to the grant of the visa. The rules for the visa say that it is sufficient if the driver obtains the necessary licence(s) within one month of his/her arrival in Oz, having travelled to Oz on his her 457 visa once that has been granted. The August 2008 legislation came about as a result of The Transport Industry Working Group's advice to the Minister, which was published on the DIAC website in July 2008. The link to the Report is here: DIAC Newsroom – Media_releases – Changes to 457 visa eligibility for truck drivers The Report itself is refusing to download. The DIAC website is telling me "Page Not Found" so something must be wrong with the IT arrangements in the new website. However the Report led to the legislative instrument described above. I read the report when it was first published, though. One of the key recommendations made by the Working Group is that if the Transport industry considers that migrant drivers are essential, the Industry ought to be prepared to enter into Labour Agreements with the Government. If any such Labour Agreements are ever negotiated (nobody knows whether they will be) then it would be possible for large, well-run employers to be able to sponsor other types of HR driver for 457 visas and for the drivers to do other types of driving besides the three mentioned above. However no such Labour Agreements exist at the moment. Unless and until they do, it is pointless to rely on nothing but an assumption or wish that it might happen. If anyone negotiates such a Labour Agreement successfully, one thing is definitely will not do is to give British drivers any sort of exclusivity or special priority over drivers from any other country. The Aussie Government's Immigration Policy is STRICTLY non-discriminatory. If the Transport Workers Union of Australia - which I understand is powerful - gets its own way, the Labour Agreements will never happen in any case. The Union's submission to the Working Group is here: http://www.twu.com.au/twu_457_submission.pdf So please do be careful about this and please do NOT spend any money on reliance on this rumour if you should hear it. One wonders whether the people selling the courses that lead to the tests and HR licences have a vested interest in promoting such a daft rumour, frankly! I have feelers out everywhere in an effort to help truckers. If any good news should happen, I will definitely hear about it quickly and as soon as I have any more definite information, I will put a thread or post about it on Poms In Oz. Best wishes Gill Good post Gill in my line of work we have a lot of interstate truckies in and a lot wont take haz chem ( suicide stuff they call it) because of the pay think thats why they are touting for overseas truckies mally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest robert and angela Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 good post gill just joined class one trucker in scotland looking to shift shores..is there any chance of the gov changing there mind concerning hgv drivers ??? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wayniexagt Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 thanks jill buts thats the info i was on about . the visa will only apply to mine working etc. ill pm you the email my driving instructor send me regards the driver program . thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Hello Robert & Angela Welcome to Poms in Oz. As Wayne has mentioned, he has heard the rumour and he told me about it. He has now sent me some more information. I will send you a private message. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 thanks jill buts thats the info i was on about . the visa will only apply to mine working etc. ill pm you the email my driving instructor send me regards the driver program . thanks again. Hi Wayne Right. I have got to the bottom of this mythical "pilot project" and I can now confirm that it is nothing but a myth. What has happened is that a bunch of people who are not Registered Migration Agents have misunderstood the whole blinking thing. Back in March 2007 the Australian Trucking Association suggested a "pilot project" confined to 100 road train drivers. They suggested that there should be a Regional Labour Agreement (a type of temporary visa) and that it should involve 100 migrant road train drivers. Nothing about the drivers being British, either. The ATA did not suggest that. The Government ignored the ATA's suggestion in any case. There is no need for any sort of "pilot project" involving the mines. The contractors who own the mines dump trucks can sponsor migrants if they so choose. The contractors have no interest whatsoever in hiring migrants for the jobs unless the migrants are already Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents, have the necessary licences and have not less than two years' relevent experience of driving the massive haul-packs in the mines The local haul pack drivers are queuing up to work in the mines because it is very well paid work compared to driving a road train. Ditto driving the big haul packs on infrastructure construction sites in the regions. Which leaves only transporting dangerous goods such as fuel and other chemicals by road. There is a shortage of drivers for the road trains transporting the dangerous goods. The reason for the shortage is because although plenty of Aussies are licenced to do it, have the special safety certificates etc, they refuse to do it because they say the pay is not good enough to justify the danger to themselves. No Brit in his right mind will do that for a pittance either. He would agree with his Aussie counterpart about this one. What it all boils down to in visa terms is that you and Jo need to get in touch with a competent Registered Migration Agent and try to sort out a sensible visa strategy which is either built on your qualifications and work experience as a mechanic, or is based around Jo's existing skills in some way instead. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SteWingate Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Hello my names steven, Im a hgv driver class one and have been for a number of years now .... does anybody know when/if they are gonna let hgv class one drivers into oz its mine and my families dream and want to get into oz asap please reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaniaColin Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Hi and welcome to the site Steven, good luck with your question Tania X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nik_kershaw Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I have an class one HGV cat but unfortunatly when I transfer my liecence over to an NSW liecence I will be reduced down to a car and I'll have to re-take my HGV class 1 or HC test yet again, annoying!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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